Tragedy is feared when the youngest of a family of miniature people is discovered missing. Arrietty listens to her mother Homily's reminiscence of the time in her childhood when the mother's cousin Stainless was missing. Afraid of the "human beans" whose house the Borrowers live in secretly, the tiny people nevertheless bravely search the whole place for the boy. Homily doesn't look willingly, for he plays mean tricks on all the children and their parents dote on him. But she helps, even endures the sneers of the Overmantel Borrowers, vain of their status Upstairs in the posh house. Homily rejoices, therefore, when both the snobs and Stainless get their comeuppance upon his return at the sudden, unforeseen end of the tale.